Breast cancer has become a major health problem among the adult female population in the Western world. It is interesting to look at anthropological studies in an attempt to ascertain causes of this problem which may be related to our modern-day lifestyle.
Medical anthropologist Sidney Ross Singer hypothesized that a link may exist between breast cancer and brassieres. He conducted a study to examine the history, attitudes, and behaviors of women with and without breast cancer in five major cities across the U.S. From 1991 to 1993, Singer and Soma Grismaijer interviewed over 4700 women and found a significant correlation between the breast cancer risk factor and the number of hours per day women wore brassieres. The results of the study are presented in the book "Dressed to Kill," by Sidney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer, Avery Publishing Group, 1995.
In FIG. 1 there is shown a conventional brassiere, comprising a support band which encircles the torso under the breasts, and which is usually fastened in the back. Two cups are attached to the band, and shoulder straps connect between the top of each cup and the rear portion of the support bandIt has been hypothesized that conventional garments of this type constrict blood circulation and impede lymphatic flow. The largest mass of lymph nodes in the upper body is located in an area extending up from the breast to just under the arm. These nodes drain lymph from the breast area into the thoracic duct, which flows to the heart. By suppressing the flow of lymph, brassieres may cause toxins to accumulate in the tissues of the breasts which, in turn, might be responsible for creating an environment conclusive to the formation of breast cancer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,245 discloses a compression brassiere and pad for manual lymph drainage. The objective appears to be to minimize the accumulation of lymph in the breast area between weekly sessions of lymph massage be applying continuous compression to various portions the breast area. The inventor of the present invention believes that the application of continuous compression in these areas is in fact highly undesirable, since such compression is more likely to contribute to the constriction of lymph flow.
It is a hypothesis of the present invention that the conventional designs of brassieres do indeed impede the drainage of lymph fluid from the breast area, and that such impeded flow may increase the risk of developing breast cancer. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide brassieres which support the wearer's breasts, but are also designed to aid the drainage of lymph fluid from the breast and surrounding tissue.